A linear ball bearing of the foregoing type is shown in DE-PS No. 1258670, wherein intermediate balls are arranged between the loaded balls of two rows, which are in turn outwardly guided by a rail fastened to the support. This known linear ball bearing has the disadvantage that the arrangement of the loaded balls, the intermediate balls, and the rail takes up a relatively large amount of space which is not always available. In addition, this prior art linear ball bearing is very costly to construct and assemble because of the non-load-carrying intermediate balls arranged in the support in addition to the load-carrying balls.
Another linear ball bearing is disclosed in DE-PS No. 2247456, wherein only the loaded balls of the two adjacent rows are displaced relative to each other, so that the loaded balls of one row mesh in the interstices of the loaded balls of the other row. Thereby more than two rows of balls are arranged in a shaft-surrounding sleeve as support. The loaded balls of this linear ball bearing cannot be arranged in two parallel adjacent raceways of a carriage.